The Voice of Florida Architecture

Host Rhonda Hammond, AIA, welcomes Molly Penn from PENN Creative, the consulting firm leading AIA Florida's Relevance of Architecture Study. The conversation explores the goals of the study, insights from member focus groups and why hearing from architects, clients and other industry stakeholders is essential to understanding the profession's evolving role. Participate in the survey by Nov. 2 at https://aiafla.org/About-the-AIA_Relevance-of-Architecture.cfm.

Host Rhonda Hammond, AIA, speaks with Itzel Lozada, AIA, and Keith Lashley, FAIA, two architects with experience in healthcare design whose own medical journeys brought new perspective to their work. From accessibility and patient dignity to natural light, comfort, caregiver support and design details, they discuss how their experiences deepened their understanding of what patients and their families encounter in some of their most vulnerable moments and reinforced the importance of designing to support healing, reassurance and hope.

Host Rhonda Hammond, AIA, talks with Ignacio Reyes, FAIA, about ownership transitions and succession planning in architecture firms.Their conversation explores the challenges firm owners may face, the importance of planning early and why culture, trust and financial preparation can make a significant difference in a successful transition. Reyes also discusses the long-term impact succession decisions can have on a firm’s people, identity and future.

In the latest episode of "The Voice of Florida Architecture," Amie Calisti, AIA co-host of "The Real Pink Diaries," Rhonda Hammond, AIA, host of "The Voice of Florida Architecture," and Jessica Rogers, NOMA, host of "Unspoken Practice" and co-host of "She Builds Podcast" gather for a conversation about finding and using your voice through podcasting and how to share your voice to express ideas, experiences and stories with a broader audience.

Joyce Owens, FAIA, RIBA, returns to talk with host Rhonda Hammond, AIA, about her election as 2027 AIA president-elect and 2028 AIA president, reflecting on the leadership journey that brought her to this moment, her campaign experience, how Florida plays a large part in it, and the priorities she hopes to carry onto the national stage.

Nati Soto, FAIA, reflects on the mentors, relationships and opportunities that shaped her career. She shares how service through AIA, along with a willingness to speak up, can help architects become more engaged professionals, strengthening their voices and contributing beyond their individual practices.

Voting for the 2026 AIA Florida People’s Choice Competition on Instagram runs from July, 3 at 12 p.m. Eastern through July, 17 at 11 p.m. Eastern. This year’s voting will take place directly on AIA Florida’s Instagram page­­ and the Florida Foundation for Architecture's Instagram page, where each project will be featured in its own post. To vote, followers will simply “like” their favorite project posts during the voting period.

This year’s People’s Choice Competition Contestants:

• Bayshore Park, Miami, FL -­Savino & Miller Design Studio, Master Planning and Design
• Norton Musuem of Art, West Palm Beach, FL -­CBT Architects - Architect of Record, Foster + Partners - Design Architect
• Overtown Youth Center, Miami, FL -­Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design­ - Design Architect, Design2Form - Architect of Record
• The Corner at Debs Store, Jacksonville, FL -­ALS Architects-Planners
• The Hub/Big Chill 30A, Watersound Beach, FL -­DAG Architects
• University of Miami Theatre Arts Building, Coral Gables, FL - MATEU Architecture
• University of West Florida Museum of Industry Entrance & Train Canopy, Pensacola, FL - SMP Architecture, PA

Be sure to follow AIA Florida on Instagram­ and the Florida Foundation for Architecture and check back when voting opens to support your favorite contestant!

Host Rhonda Hammond, AIA, speaks with Don Yoshino, FAIA, about his James Anstis, FAIA, Lifetime Achievement Award, teaching and mentorship. Learn more about Don by viewing his 2023 interview at https://youtu.be/fP8z2bKnv5Q.

Rhonda Hammond, AIA, shares the latest in the Component Spotlight series with a conversation with AIA Tallahassee president John Scott, AIA, president-elect Tristan Williams, AIA, and state director JJ Scott, AIA, share what makes the component uniquely positioned at the intersection of advocacy, education and community.

Host Rhonda Hammond, AIA, is joined by 2026 president, Adam Gayle, AIA, to interview the AIA Florida 2026 Convention and Trade Show kickoff speaker JEFRË, as he shares his journey from landscape architecture and urban design to a career as an acclaimed public artist.